 RAPTALK.NET is back with another Q&A session this time with G.A.G.E. aka "CEO Of The East", Growing up in Philly with four sisters, Gage encountered an inner city upbringing marred with violence and drugs. He witnessed his mother overdose at the young age of eight, his father in and out of jail, and an uncle get sent to death row. He sits down with raptalk.net to talk about him leaving Aftermath Entertainment, working with some of Hip Hop's biggest producers and about his entertainment company AMPM, Enjoy! Dub MD: G.A.G.E, What's good?
G.A.G.E: I'M GOOD JUST FALLIN BACK DOIN ME, STAYING SUCKER FREE, RUNNING MY LABEL AND FILM COMPANY AMPM ENTERTAINMENT AND AMPM FILMS. Dub MD: For those who don't know, could you just give a short review of what you've experienced in your rap career up until now?
G.A.G.E: I MEAN I HAVE EXPERIENCED ALOT FROM HAVING NOTHING TO BEING ON ONE OF THE BIGGEST RAP LABELS EVER. WORKING WITH DR. DRE, COOL AND DRE, SCOTT STORTCH, JAMIE FOX, SUNSHINE ANDERSON, JONATHAN "J.R." ROTEM, ERIC SERMON (OF EPMD), THE GAME, JUST BLAZE, AKON, THE RUNNERS, FOCUS, DANJA, JELLY ROLL, MR PORTER (OF D12), GOOD CHARLOTTE AND MORE! I HAVE EXPERIENCED IN THIS GAME ALOT OF FAKE NIGGAZ AND SOME REAL, I GUESS HAHA Dub MD: Coming from Philadelphia, what do you think of the Philly music scene right now?
G.A.G.E: I DON'T LIKE THE RAP SCENE UP PHILLY RIGHT NOW! NOT SO MUCH THE ARTISTS I JUST DON'T LIKE HOW THE INDUSTRY NEVER GIVES US A CHANCE TO BE BIG PLATNUM SELLING ARTISTS, THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT REALLY BLEW UP IS EVE AND WILL SMITH AND THATS A SHAME WHEN U GOT NIGGAZ LIKE BEANS THAT CAN OUT RAP HALF THESE NIGGAZ IN THE GAME BUT DOESN'T GET THE SHINE OF A JAY-Z OR A 50 CENT NOT TO TAKE NOTHING AWAY FROM HOV OR MR FORMULA 50 HAHA
Dub MD: A lot of people are saying "Hip Hop Is Dead" lately, how do you feel about the current state of hip hop?
G.A.G.E: TO BE 100% TRUTHFUL I THINK HIP HOP DIED ALONG TIME AGO BUT I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING "RAP" LIVES ON! YOU CAN'T STOP RAP! IT'S INDESTRUCTABLE! AND I BET YOU NEVER HEARD THAT ANSWER BEFORE! Dub MD: Do you have a new album/mixtape in the works? what's it called & what can heads out there expect?
G.A.G.E: THE ALBUM SOUNDTRACK TO MY LIFE IS ALMOST DONE, IT SHOULD BE IN YA FACE LATE 07 EARLY 08 IF MY PLANS GO CORRECTLY! YOU CAN ALSO COME TO MY MYSPACE PAGE MYSPACE/GAGE4REAL AND ORDER BOTH THE CLASSIC "CRACK MURDER AND MISSED MEALS" MIXTAPE HOSTED BY DJ WHOO KIDD FEAT. D.O.C, ANDRE 3000, DMX, TWISTA, BUSTA RYHMES AND T.I. YOU CAN ALSO ORDER MY NEWEST MIXTAPE "CEO OF THE EAST" HOSTED BY DJ KHALED FEAT. AKON, THE GAME, OX FROM THE MOVIE BELLY, AB LIVA FROM THE CLIPSE'S RE-UP GANG, GREEZY, AND THE WHOLE AMPM FAMILY! AND I GOT AMPM THE MOVEMENT MIXTAPE COMING REAL SOON...SO KEEP POSTED! Dub MD: You were signed with Dr. Dre & Aftermath Entertainment & you announced at the top of the year, you were no longer with them, What happened with that deal?
G.A.G.E: I MEAN DRE GOT HIS AGENDA THAT HE HAS TO STICK TO AND I GOT MINES YA FEEL ME? IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT, NO LOVE LOST! "TO BE 100% TRUTHFUL I THINK HIP HOP DIED ALONG TIME AGO BUT I'LL TELL YOU ONE THING "RAP" LIVES ON! YOU CAN'T STOP RAP! IT'S INDESTRUCTABLE! AND I BET YOU NEVER HEARD THAT ANSWER BEFORE!" Dub MD: Can you tell us a little about AMPM Entertainment and what your label situation like just now?
G.A.G.E: RIGHT NOW WE ARE JUST AT THE RECRUITING STAGE GETTING ALL MY SOLDIERS ALIGNED TO GO TO WAR WITH THESE WACK RAPPERS THATS OUT RIGHT NOW! GETTING THERE SONGS UP AND TRAINING THEM TO BE RAP WARRIORS, BUT AS FAR AS AMPM FILMS THATS COMING TOGETHER SMOOTH WE HAVE A DVD COMING OUT REAL SOON BY FALL DOCUMENTING MY WHOLE JOURNEY LEADING UP TO MY DEPARTURE FROM AFTERMATH, WE ARE STARTING SOME SCRIPTS AND CASTING FOR VIDEOS AND MOVIES, WE ALSO DO OTHER ARTISTS VIDEOS SO IF U NEED A VIDEO DONE GET AT ME FOR THE RIGHT PRICE! Dub MD: What do you think is your most defining and unique characteristic that sets you apart from every other emcee out there?
G.A.G.E: I WON'T CHANGE OR GET CAUGHT UP IN THE WORLD WIND OF EVERYBODY TRYNA BE ALIKE. FOR #1 YOU WILL NEVER CATCH ME WIT A MOHAWKS, PLEASE LET THAT WACK ASS SHIT DIE, NO PARTS SHAVE INTO MY HAIR, OH AND THEM DAMN CHAINS EVERYBODY WEARING ON THEIR JEANS THAT SHIT NEED TO BE OUTLAWED HAHA AND WHATS UP WITH EVERYBODYS SHIRT NOWADAYS BEING 4 SIZES TOO SMALL LOL...I WONT NEVER GET A GRILL OR A EARING THATS JUST NOT ME. NO LABEL CAN CHANGE ME NO AMOUNT OF MONEY COULD BUY ME! I AM G.A.G.E. I SET MY OWN TRENDS AND LET THESE NIGGAZ FOLLOW ME! Dub MD: For your heads who haven't seen you perform yet are you planning a worldwide tour anytime soon?
G.A.G.E: SHHHHHH! KEEP THAT ON THE DOWN LOW HAHA NAW BUT I SHOULD BE GETTING ON THE ROAD REAL SOON RIGHT NOW I'M JUST BUSY IN ATLANTA TRYNA MAKE A BETTER LIFE FOR MY FAMILY, FRIENDS AND MY BITCHES HAHA YEAH I SAID IT MY BITCHES LOL JUST JOKING! Dub MD: If you could describe yourself as an emcee in 4 words, What would they be?
G.A.G.E: INVINCIBLE, INDESTRUCTABLE, BRILLIANT AND A WORKAHOLIC Dub MD: What is on tap for G.A.G.E. for the rest of 2007 and beyond?
G.A.G.E: AWW MAN A FEW SHOWS, A FEW VIDEOS, A FEW MIXTAPES, A FEW NEW DEALS, A FEW HOT ASS SONGS NOTHING TOO MAJOR IM WAITING TILL 08 TO REALLY ATTACK! Dub MD: Do you have anything to say to the fans? anything you wanna get off your chest? any shout outs?
G.A.G.E: TO THE FANS, I LOVE YA'LL WITH OUT YA'LL I WOULD BE NOTHING! KEEP SHOWING ME MUCH LOVE AND SUPPORT AND I WILL KEEP BANGIN YA'LL IN THE HEAD WITH THESE HITS AND NEVER GIVE UP ON YA DREAMS BECAUSE I COULD HAVE EASILY SAID FUCK RAP ITS NOT WORKIN LET ME GO GET A REAL JOB BUT IF ITS IN YA HEART AND YOU STAY TRUE TO IT U CAN ONLY PROSPER AND GET BETTER! OH YEAH AND STOP SUPPORTING BULLSHIT MUSIC, IT'S NOT HOT YOU JUST SETTLE FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOTHING OUT THATS GOOD, IT'S LIKE IF U HAVE AN ALRIGHT LOOKING GIRL AND YOU THINK SHE IS THE ONE, THATS ONLY UNTILL A BEAUTIFUL GIRL COMES ALONG SO NOW THE CHICK THAT WAS JUST ALRIGHT LOOKIN, LOOKS VERY VERY UGLY! HAHA YOU WERE JUST SETTLEING FOR THE ALRIGHT ONE CUZ U DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TRUE BEAUTY LOOKED LIKE YA DIG ME? THEY SAY TRUE BEAUTY IS ON THE INSIDE AND MOST OF THESE RAPPERS HAVE NO HEART, THATS WHY I'M HERE AND TO WHO EVER DONT LIKE IT SPEAK UP CUZ I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH DELETEING SOME OF THESE GUYS FROM RAP HISTORY PERIOD! G.A.G.E. MONEY, AMPM ENT. AND SHOUT OUT TO THE WHOLE WORLD, FREEK UGLY CLOTHING LINE AND FREE THE BIRDSONG FAMILY! DUB MD
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